Moving the Electricity Transmission System Towards a Decarbonised and Integrated Europe: Missing Pillars and Roadblocks

ABSTRACT

The establishment of a seamless electricity transmission system and the completion of a single market for power in Europe are currently hindered by the lack of adequate answers to several, basic questions concerning the coordination of actions and decisions, the sharing of costs and benefits, and solidarity beyond costs and benefits.

The absence of these three core ‘pillars’ explains, at least partially, why the European electricity industry is currently affected by several critical issues. In some cases, these issues constitute ‘roadblocks’ on the path towards a fully integrated electricity system and a decarbonised energy sector. Redispatching actions, on the one hand, and capacity adequacy and crisis management, on the other, are two relevant examples of such roadblocks.

To remove these two roadblocks, we propose a set of recommendations that address the three missing pillars and clearly identify key roles, tasks and responsibilities both at national and supra-national level.

Member States, industry stakeholders and society at large can have alternative and even opposing views of our suggestions and how to successfully confront the two roadblocks and the other critical issues. However, they should all acknowledge the necessity, while developing their own proposals, to deal with the missing pillars and provide explicit answers to the basic issues of coordination, sharing and solidarity.